


Cherished

by KrypticReaux



Series: Unbreakable [3]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety Attacks, Depression, Developing Relationship, Emotional Baggage, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Gaming addiction, Moving In Together, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rating May Change, Recovery, Sexy Times, Smut, part three of a series, yay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-03-30 18:33:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13957512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrypticReaux/pseuds/KrypticReaux
Summary: Part Three of series "Unbreakable"WORK IN PROGRESS!This story picks up a month after Yoosung and Eleanora return to South Korea.  They've moved into their own apartment, and it seems like they will finally get their "happily ever after"...right?Um...not really.  Life is never that simple.Despite being home, having a new life--and the girl he loves more than anything by his side--Yoosung is still fighting the lingering demons of PTSD.  His physical wounds have mostly healed, but the psychological trauma still torments him.  Eleanora's steadfast love continues to be his saving grace.  But...when secrets from Eleanora's own past resurface...along with the shocking truth about Mint Eye and the individuals responsible for Yoosung's kidnapping...their fledgeling relationship is shaken to its very core.Will their love be enough to save them both?Thanks for reading!  I love my readers!!!  Comments welcome, and Kudos make my heart happy!!!  :)





	1. Bacon, Biscuits and Birthdays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Yoosung's birthday, and Eleanora is attempting to surprise him with breakfast in bed. Her plan doesn't go exactly as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday to my sweet Yoosung! I wasn't quite ready to post this, but the fact that chapter one just happens to take place on March 12th, I had to get it out there on the same date. It might be a little while before ch. 2 is ready, but I hope you enjoy what I've got so far! This story will start out fluffy, but will be delving deep into the lingering consequences of Yoosung's ordeal (see part one of the series, '231 Days'), and the complications that this fallout places on their developing relationship. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this ongoing labor of love!

**Chapter 1:  Bacon, Biscuits and Birthdays**

March 12

 

_“Ouch!”_

Eleanora cried out as she jerked her hand away from the frying pan.  Gingerly, she rubbed the spots where sizzling-hot oil had just spattered onto her skin. 

For all of her cooking expertise, not to mention the impressive collection of blue ribbons that her baked goods had earned at the county fair during her growing-up years in Texas, she never could quite manage to successfully conquer her biggest cooking nemesis—bacon—without acquiring some manner of grease burn on her hands or arms.

It was for this reason that she didn’t often cook the delectable breakfast meat, despite how much she loved it.

Today, however, she didn’t mind a few errant pops and spatters of hot oil.  Today was a _special_ occasion, one that called for a _special_ breakfast.

It was Yoosung’s birthday.  The plan was to surprise him with breakfast in bed, like he had done for her a few weeks ago—while they were still in Dubai.

Eleanora scooted over to the kitchen sink and ran some cold water over her hand.  As she blotted the water off with a towel, she walked over to the kitchen entrance, glancing down the hallway to make sure the door to Yoosung’s bedroom was closed, and that he didn’t hear her outburst.

 _Good_ , she thought to herself, _he didn’t wake up_. 

Of course, Eleanora knew that, had he heard her pained exclamation, he would have already arrived on the scene—a _knight in shining armor_ (or…more like a _sweetheart in sweatpants_ … _with adorably messy bed-head_ ), anxious to save his lady love from whatever danger was threatening her well-being.

Removing the perilous pan of deliciousness from the stove burner, Eleanora soon had the meal plated and ready to go.  It was a traditional breakfast, at least where she was from:  Scrambled eggs, bacon, and buttermilk biscuits with country gravy. 

The biscuits proved to be a little bit of a challenge to make authentically, since buttermilk—a staple cooking item in the southern United States—was not readily available in South Korea.  She was able to make a workable substitute by mixing a little lemon juice in milk, and she was pleasantly surprised when the finished product was indistinguishable from the biscuits she made as a youngster growing up on the plains of northern Texas.  She had painstakingly rolled out the thick dough, cut it into rounds using a drinking glass (she didn’t have a proper biscuit cutter on hand), and baked them to warm, buttery, golden-brown perfection.  They rose up nicely and were light and flaky.  She was quite proud of them, especially since it had been a while since she had last practiced the recipe.  There aren’t many recipes that are easier than biscuits, but still…

Eleanora’s thoughts naturally gravitated to her mother, who taught her everything she knew about cooking. 

She wistfully wondered if her mother was watching her.  Instinctively, her mind began to talk towards heaven:  _Look, Mom…I still remember how to make your famous biscuits, and these turned out almost as good as yours!  You always joked that when I found the man I wanted to marry, all I had to do was make these for his breakfast, and he’d be mine forever.  You were always right about everything else…so I hope you’re right on this, too._

_God, Momma….I love him so much.  You’d love him, too.  I know you would._

Eleanora smiled as she recalled countless lazy Saturday mornings in the kitchen of her family’s farmhouse in Texas, flour-dusted aprons, wooden rolling pins, and lots of laughter as she and her mom cooked up a storm. 

She couldn’t help but be a tiny bit nervous…this meal was a bit different from what Yoosung was accustomed to having for breakfast, but Eleanora hoped he would like it.  She wanted everything to be just right on his special day.

Rummaging around the kitchen, she realized that she didn’t have a serving tray.  After a moment of thought, she grabbed the baking sheet upon which she had baked the biscuits, cleaned it, and draped a pretty hand towel over it.  It seemed a bit small for its makeshift purpose, but it looked nice, and Eleanora was proud of her creative solution.

She was loading the plates onto her makeshift tray when she heard a familiar yawn in the hallway.

“Mmm...Something smells really good!” a sleepy voice drifted from around the corner.

 _My noise woke him up.  Crap…there goes my surprise._   Eleanora spun around just in time to see Yoosung peer around the corner from the hallway.

“Good morning!” he said cheerfully, his violet eyes sparkling from underneath a messy mop of blonde hair.  “Whatcha doin’?”

Eleanora tried to frown, but that was really hard to do when faced with her boyfriend’s sweet, infectious smile. 

“I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed…” she glanced down at the baking sheet-turned-serving tray, which was a bit overloaded with breakfast for two.

“Wow, really?” he beamed. “I guess I should have stayed put, then.  Sorry for crashing the surprise.”  He grinned sheepishly, as he raised his arm and rubbed at the back of his head…pure cuteness.

“I’m sorry if I woke you up rummaging around in here.”  Leaving the tray on the counter, she approached Yoosung, slipping her arms around his waist and pulling him close.

“No…what woke me up was the amazing smell.  Once I smelled the food, it was like my stomach took over.  I couldn’t help it…I had to follow.”  He kissed her on the forehead.  “It’s still a wonderful surprise, honey.  Thank you!”

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Eleanora said as she planted a sweet kiss on his cheek.

“Thanks!” Yoosung said with a smile.  Then confusion flashed across his face.  “…wait a minute…my birthday’s _today_?  I thought it was tomorrow…”

Eleanora glanced over at the calendar hanging by the door to their apartment. 

“No, baby.  Today’s the 12th.  It’s Sunday.”  Eleanora confirmed.

“That’s so weird.  I thought today was Saturday.  All day yesterday, I thought it was Friday.  Guess I’ve spent so much time playing LOLOL lately, that I’m not keeping track of the days very well.”  As he spoke, his gaze lowered and his face shaded over a bit.  “Maybe I’m playing too much…” he said, a touch of shame clinging to his words.  As hard as it was to acknowledge, he knew it was true.

Eleanora quietly hugged him close to her, pressing her lips to his soft, warm cheek again as she rubbed comforting circles on his back.  She wasn’t sure what to say…because she knew as well as he did that his excessive time spent gaming was clearly becoming problematic.

It was true that Eleanora was growing more concerned by the day about how much time Yoosung was spending playing LOLOL on his computer, but after all he had been through in the last year, she’d sooner dive head-first off of the roof of their 12 story apartment building than say or do anything to make him feel bad about doing _whatever he wanted_ …whatever made him happy. 

_He deserved to be happy._

After all, it had not quite been a month since they had moved into the apartment together.  Things were still settling down, but overall, life was pretty good...all things considered.

It was amazing how far they had come in the three months since the rescue.

 _Had it really been only three months?  Well…not quite._ Eleanora rapidly counted in her head.  _Eleven…almost twelve weeks?  Close enough._

So much had happened in that time, that it seemed like it could have been more like three years.

It was just eleven weeks ago…Christmas day.  That was the day that the miracle happened—the day that Eleanora had managed to successfully rescue Yoosung from the horrible place where he had been kidnapped and held captive for seven impossibly long months by a rogue operative, calling himself “Unknown”, from a dangerous, shadowy cult organization known as Mint Eye. 

The ordeal left Yoosung badly injured and near death, with a long, difficult road to recovery ahead of him.  The worst of his injuries included a nearly-fatal knife wound, and a badly broken leg that required extensive surgical repair.  Once he was well enough to be transferred from the hospital, they traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to a world-renowned medical resort, for two months of intensive rehabilitation and physical therapy to recover from his injuries. 

This was, of course, planned and financed by corporate heir and dear friend and fellow RFA member, Jumin Han.  His company, C&R International, was a huge shareholder in the resort.

From there, Yoosung and Eleanora returned home to Seoul, where they moved into their own apartment. 

That was three weeks ago.

In the time that has followed, things have finally slowed down to a somewhat calmer pace.  The intense regimen of almost daily physical therapy sessions in Dubai, had been replaced with weekly sessions—and would soon end entirely.  He was now able to walk for short amounts of time without the help of the brace.  He had a slight limp, and still experienced pain somewhat frequently, but the progress was undeniably impressive. 

Most of the time, Yoosung was his usual bright, goofy, cheerful self, but there were days when it was clear that he was struggling with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  He still had nightmares fairly regularly, and on several occasions, there had been events that had triggered traumatic flashback episodes.  When he experienced these nightmares or flashbacks, it sometimes took days for him to get back to some sense of normalcy.  During these times, he would sink into alternating phases of intense anxiety, and deep, debilitating depression.  He was seeing a therapist at least once a week, and taking medications to help him manage his symptoms.

Despite the medication prescribed by his therapist, Yoosung still struggled to cope on his worst days.  He had an intense fear of becoming a burden on Eleanora (in spite of her desperate attempts to convince him otherwise) and this led him to try his best to find his own ways of coping, without relying on her for any help.

His default method of choice was the same as it was almost three years ago, when he was faced with the sudden and mysterious death of his beloved cousin and mentor, Rika:  a video game called LOLOL.  The game had helped him escape reality when things were at their darkest, and it served as a way of numbing his intense pain, both mental and physical.  It was at least as effective now as it was then, and likely even more so, since he was no longer an active college student with classes to pull him away from his room from time to time.

At first, Eleanora welcomed this distraction; it seemed to genuinely help him feel better.  She even installed it on her own computer and played the game with him—which made him very happy.  However, it did not take long for it to become clear that Yoosung’s reliance on LOLOL was quickly getting out of control, and was likely going to become harmful if something didn’t change soon.

When he played LOLOL, it was never for just an hour or two.  He would engage in marathon gaming sessions that sometimes ran almost a full 24 hours at a time.  He would only willingly leave his computer to eat, use the restroom or shower. 

When he had an appointment, Eleanora would try to get him to leave his computer to take a shower and get ready to go…and Yoosung would almost always be reluctant.

“I don’t _want_ to go anywhere….can’t we just reschedule?” he would groan.

Yoosung’s therapist, Dr. Byeon, shared Eleanora’s concern about Yoosung’s excessive gaming.  A petite, older lady with short, brown hair and a quiet, soothing countenance, Dr. Byeon had recommended early on that Yoosung return to a normal routine—and resume his college classes—as soon as possible.  At first, Yoosung seemed eager to get back into his studies, and had even began the paperwork involved with reestablishing his enrollment.  Then, after a particularly bad episode of PTSD that resulted in several days of severe depression, he decided to put off his plans of returning to school.  That was nearly two weeks ago, and he had not said a word about school since then.

Thankfully, the past few days had been a steady improvement.  He was still spending most of his waking hours at his computer playing LOLOL, but Eleanora had been successful in getting him to take his medicine and getting him to go to bed at a reasonable hour.  As a result, his mood was drastically improved and he seemed like his usual sweet, cheerful self.

On this day, Eleanora had plans to get him out of the apartment to do something fun.  The weather looked like it would be a bit warmer today than it had been in recent weeks, since spring was just around the corner.  It was cloudy, but as long as it didn’t rain, Eleanora thought that it would be a perfect day to head to a local park.  Of course, this would only be if Yoosung wanted to go.  She hoped that with his improved mood, he would be more receptive to going outside of the comfort zone of their little apartment.  She knew that at one time, Yoosung loved visiting local parks; he had told her so when they first met through the RFA messenger. 

Now that he was home, she desperately wanted for him to be able to enjoy the things he used to like, and share them with her—just like she was sharing a piece of her home with him, in the form of a traditional Texas breakfast.

***

“Let’s eat before the food gets cold,” Eleanora said as she reluctantly released Yoosung from her embrace.  Returning to the kitchen counter, she grasped the edges of the makeshift serving tray and began to lift.  Almost immediately, the baking sheet began to buckle under the weight of the plates and food. 

Eleanora yelped as she quickly moved to avert disaster, spinning around and setting the “tray” back down before it had a chance to dump its contents to the floor.  Yoosung instinctively jumped into action, diving forward with arms outstretched, though it wasn’t clear what he was trying to catch from across the room.

“Well, I guess that wasn’t as great of an idea as I thought it was…” Eleanora said, her words trailing off as a goofy grin spread across her face.  She started giggling despite herself…perhaps from relief?  Hands still suspended in midair, Yoosung’s shoulders began to quake with barely-suppressed giggles of his own.

“Do you know how glad I am that I didn’t drop our breakfast?”  She managed to get the words out before she dissolved into full-blown peals of laughter.  “I would have absolutely cried!!”

Each of them grabbed a plate and settled at their tiny dining table—big enough for just the two of them.

“So, what is this?  It smells so yummy,” Yoosung said as he inspected his plate.

“It’s scrambled eggs, bacon, and buttermilk biscuits with gravy.  It’s the sort of breakfast that we eat where I’m from.  The bacon is quite a bit thicker than what we have in the US, but it still cooked up well and it tastes the same, it’s just not quite as crispy as it is when it’s sliced thinner.”  Eleanora spooned some gravy over her biscuit, and scooped up a bite.  Her eyes closed blissfully as she slowly savored it.

“Mmmm…. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good, old-fashioned down-home country breakfast.”

Yoosung, after watching Eleanora’s example, followed her lead.  After tasting the food, his face lit up.

“Hey, this is really good!  I really like the texture of the biscuit.  It’s like a dense, crumbly bread, and the flavor is amazing…it’s sort of rich, but not too much.  I’ve never tasted anything quite like it.”  He quickly shoveled several more bites into his mouth.  Eleanora smiled broadly, casting a knowing, and thankful glance upwards to heaven, where she was sure her mother was smiling, too.

“It was my mother’s recipe.  We made these for breakfast almost every single weekend when I was growing up.  To this day, it’s my favorite thing to have for breakfast.  I was really hoping you’d like it, too.”

“I wouldn’t mind if I had this for breakfast every weekend,” Yoosung proclaimed between bites.

Eleanora replied, “I wouldn’t mind making them for you every weekend.  I absolutely love cooking for you.”

“Hmm… Well, as long as you let me cook for you as often as you cook for me, then it’s a deal,” Yoosung said as he took a drink of orange juice.

“Okay, I guess that sounds fair enough.  A deal it is, then!” Eleanora smiled. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this blissfully joyous.  She had been dreaming of making this particular meal for her sweetheart for a long time, as a way of sharing a special part of her history with him. 

It turned out good, and he loved it.  She was ecstatic.

Once they had finished eating, Eleanora carefully stacked the plates and carried them to the sink, while Yoosung grabbed a cloth and wiped the table clean.

As they worked together to clean up the kitchen, Eleanora said, “I’m so glad to be able to share this tiny little part of my life with you.  There are many other things that I hope to share with you someday.  Maybe we can even travel to the United States and visit my hometown.  What do you think of that idea?” 

Yoosung paused his task of cleaning the stove and counter and looked at Eleanora.  “That sounds amazing,” he said, clearly intrigued.  “I’ve always wanted to visit the US!”

“We should plan on it, then.  I’ve got a little bit of money put aside, and we can work on saving up the rest.  It’ll take a while, but it will be so worth it!”  Eleanora, overcome with a rush of excitement at the idea of bringing Yoosung to visit her childhood home, launched herself into his arms.  Her happiness overflowed in the form of a giggle as she buried her face into Yoosung’s shoulder. 

“You make me so happy, my darling,” Eleanora murmured as she sighed contentedly in his embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE as of 10/20/2018:
> 
> I'm finally getting some new chapters finished, but this story is taking on a life of its own and the chapters aren't coming in chronological order. I'm sure some of you writers out there know what I'm talking about! LOL
> 
> So, I'm reasonably satisfied with Chapter 2, so it's going up tonight. It's short, and kind of boring...it's leading up to something big, I promise! I hope to have Chapter 3 ready in the next few days/weeks, so be sure to subscribe! 
> 
> Love you all! <3
> 
> \--KR
> 
>  
> 
> UPDATE as of 5/9/2018: My family was recently affected by corporate layoffs and we were forced to move on an emergency basis.
> 
> My life is pretty chaotic right now, but I assure you that I am still very much developing this story in my head, and I will be continuing to post as soon as I get things settled! 
> 
> Love and big hugs to all of my readers!
> 
> \--KR


	2. Fresh Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleanora talks Yoosung into venturing out of the comfort zone of their apartment. 
> 
> It's short, and fairly uneventful, but it's a transition to a big event coming up in chapter 3, so stay tuned!! ;)

Chapter 2:  Fresh Air

March 12

 

Eleanora stood at the kitchen sink, washing up the last of the breakfast dishes.  Yoosung stood next to her, holding a towel and drying the dishes as Eleanora handed the clean, wet dishes to him.  As she worked, she stared out of the window over the sink.  The sky was covered in a thick blanket of low-hanging, grey clouds, with sporadic, ragged holes where blue sky valiantly tried to break through.  The apartment building was situated part-way up a large hill, so the window offered a partial view of the mountainside, with the sprawling expanse of Seoul just beyond.  The trees were still bare, though certain botanical over-achievers were just beginning to put out the tiniest of green leaf buds.  Everything felt clean, crisp, and new—especially after a few days of cool, early-spring rain.

“How would you like to go out today, sweetie?  It’s been a while since we’ve gone anywhere other than appointments, and it’s such a pretty day,” Eleanora suggested as she handed Yoosung a dripping-wet plate.

Yoosung took the plate and carefully wiped it dry with the towel.  From the corner of her eyes, Eleanora watched his expression closely, hoping that he would be open to the idea.

“Well…I don’t know...” he started hesitantly, “the guys from the guild were planning to run a big raid today,” he frowned as he continued to rub the towel on the plate with a bit more concentration than would normally be warranted.

Eleanora felt her heart sink a little.  She wasn’t at all surprised by this reaction, but couldn’t help the disappointment that was creeping up on her.

“No worries, baby.  It’s your birthday, and I want you to spend it exactly as you want.  I was just thinking that it could be fun if we could visit some of your favorite places.  Isn’t there any particular place that you would like to show me?  I’ve lived here for just over a year, but I’ve seen hardly any of the city.” 

Eleanora chose her words carefully.  The last thing she wanted to do was make Yoosung feel guilty, but she also didn’t want him to spend yet another day doing the same thing he’d been doing for the last three weeks.  She was truly worried about him—and she knew that he really needed to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.  Especially after all the work he did in Dubai to build up the muscle mass he lost while he was…away.

It was a difficult tightrope act—on one hand, she wanted to let him do whatever he wanted…but on the other, she knew that he needed support and guidance to stay on a positive, healthy track.  She feared that this would inevitably mean that she would need to get tough on him, use “tough love”…as her mom described it.  She got a knot in her stomach every time she thought about it. 

After a moment of thought, Yoosung spoke, interrupting Eleanora’s worried thoughts. 

“Now that you mention it, there are a couple of places near my school that I think you would like.  There’s a park with a trail that goes up one of the mountains by the campus.  At the top, there’s an overlook where you can see almost the entire city.  It’s really beautiful.  Also, there’s this huge garden—but I don’t think there will be much to see there until at least next month when the flowers come out.  But, there’s also a museum with a lot of cool things to see.  I’ve been there twice, but I don’t think I’ve even seen half of it yet.”  As he spoke, his voice brightened and he almost sounded excited, which was exactly what Eleanor hoped to hear.

“Well, why don’t we go, then?” Eleanora encouraged.

Yoosung’s forehead crinkled as he thought it over.  “Hmm…I  _guess_  we could.  The guild raid event isn’t scheduled until this evening.  We can be back by six, right?”

Eleanora smiled.   _Success!_

“Of course!” She glanced at the clock.  “It’s not even 10 yet, and if you’re just wanting to go to the school, that’s only a five minute bus ride away.  That gives us almost the whole day to work with.” Eleanora confirmed. 

*** 

A short time later, the couple emerged from the apartment building and headed down the sidewalk to the nearest bus stop.  A few minutes after that, they were walking onto the SKY University campus. 

For a Sunday, there were a lot of people milling around the school grounds, enjoying the early spring scenery and the beautiful weather.  The temperature was perfect—not too warm, not too cool—with the faintest scent of fresh rain hanging in the air, making everything feel bright and new.

“This is the veterinary science building, where a lot of my classes are…or, were,” Yoosung gestured toward a moderately large edifice. 

As they walked by, a group of students seated at a nearby picnic table caught Yoosung’s attention.    
“Oh, hey.  These are some of my friends,” he said excitedly as he guided Eleanora toward them.

As they approached, one of the students—a tall boy with long, shaggy brown hair—jumped up from his seat.  “Oh, my god,  _look who’s back!”_  he exclaimed loudly as he bounded to his smiling friend, giving him a hug.  The four others sitting at the table also stood up, clearly happy to see Yoosung.

“It’s good to see you, Hyungsik…and the rest of you guys, too!  How have you been?”  Yoosung asked. 

“I’m good, man.  God, it’s great to see you.  How are you doing?” The young man asked with a broad smile.

“Doing better all the time.  I hope to come back to school soon,” answered Yoosung.

Hyungsik beamed. “I hope so!  Things haven’t been the same without you here!”  Looking at Eleanora he added, "So, who's this?"

Yoosung smiled proudly as he put his arm around Eleanora's waist.  "Everyone, this is Eleanora....my girlfriend.  Eleanora, this is my good friend, Hyungsik.  And that's Eun-ae, Taekyung, Chan-hee, Do-kyun, Seohyun, and Jae-seon.  They're all in the veterinary science program with me."

"Nice to meet you," Eleanora said warmly as she offered her hand to each of Yoosung's friends.  

"No way, Yoosung!  That's awesome!  Congratulations!" his friends all chimed in with their cheers.

After a few brief pleasantries, Yoosung and Eleanora proceeded further into the campus.  He seemed to really enjoy showing her his school—the buildings where his classes were located, the cafeteria where he ate his meals, the meeting spots of his various clubs and student groups (there were a bunch, since he tended to change his interests frequently). 

Soon, they came to a small pavilion, set a comfortable distance away from the hustle and bustle near the buildings.  A cluster of tables sat under a shelter, surrounded by trees that were just starting to put out beautiful pale pink blossoms.  Yoosung showed Eleanora to a seat, then sat next to her.

“And… _this_ is where I would come when I had some time between classes.  It's far enough from the main pathway that not many people come over...so it's quiet.  Yet, the main building and the library are right over there, see?” he said as he pointed at the nearby buildings.  “I would sit right here and check the messenger to see if you were online.  If I was really lucky, I’d get to talk to you!” he smiled.  “It’s so great to finally get to be here with you in person.  I love getting to show you my school and introduce you to my friends.”

Eleanora couldn’t stop grinning.  She had been longing to see Yoosung return to something akin to his ‘normal’ life.  The fact that he was here, smiling and happy, made her heart dance with joy.

Then, he said something that Eleanora had been waiting for weeks to hear.

“You know, Eleanora, I think I have actually missed school.  I can’t believe I’m saying it.  I think I’m ready to get back into my classes,” Yoosung said.  “I want to work hard and catch up.  Now that we are together and have our lives ahead of us, I want to hurry up and graduate so that I can provide a good life for you.”

Eleanora leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.  You know I’ll be supporting you every step of the way,” she said as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“I know,” Yoosung replied, lifting her hand to her lips for a kiss.  “I wouldn’t be able to do any of this otherwise.”

After a short walk through the museum, the pair stopped by a café on the campus for lunch.  Then, they decided to head back to the apartment so that Yoosung could rest—his leg had begun to ache after all the walking.

The rest of the afternoon was spent cuddling on the couch with a romantic movie, and at 6pm, Yoosung retreated to his room to join his guild mates for a raid in the world of LOLOL.

Eleanora, happy with how Yoosung’s birthday had turned out, curled up in her bed to read a book.  Before long, she drifted into a contented sleep.


	3. Sleepless in Seoul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***Rating Change in Effect!***
> 
> It was going to happen eventually...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo-hoo! They're finally going to do the thing! Both of them are inexperienced, so they keep it simple and sweet for their first time. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 3:  Sleepless in Seoul

March 13

 

Eleanora sat bolt upright in her bed.  A cold sweat clung to her skin as she shivered slightly under her covers. 

The dream that had invaded her peaceful slumber had shattered upon her awakening, the fragments scattered into oblivion.  Try as she might, she could not recall exactly what had played out inside her head to have startled her into wakefulness. 

The nearby alarm clock read 2:31 in the morning.

Reaching for her bedside table, Eleanora fumbled for the lamp switch.  Soon, a cheery glow lit up the room.  As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realized that her throat and mouth were almost completely dry.  She also realized that she had forgotten to bring a glass of water to bed with her for times like these.

Groaning at the inconvenience of having to get up in the middle of the night, Eleanora slid her feet into her house slippers, and softly made her way to the kitchen to get a glass of water.  As she passed Yoosung’s bedroom door, she could neither see any telltale light glowing from under the door, nor could she hear the soft clicks and keystrokes that usually indicated that he was engaged in his typical late-night gaming, so she presumed that he was asleep. 

 _Good_ , she thought.  After the outing the previous afternoon, it would do him a lot of good to get a decent night’s sleep.

Once in the kitchen, faintly lit only by a small night-light near the sink, she proceeded to retrieve a glass from the cabinet, and fill it with water.  Standing at the sink, she quickly gulped down the glass.

She was debating whether to get a refill when she was startled by a voice at the kitchen entrance.

“Hey, honey.  What are you doing up at this hour?” There stood Yoosung, peering sleepily from around the corner and rubbing his eyes.

“Oh…hey sweetie.  I just came to get a drink of water,” Eleanora replied.

Yoosung entered the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.  “Same here.  I think the humidity in this apartment is too low.  I’ll have to check the settings on the climate control unit.  We may need to call maintenance to take a look at it again,” he said as he opened the cabinet to get a glass for himself. 

As he approached the sink to fill his glass, he stopped a few feet short.  His eyes, having adjusted to the meager light in the room, widened as they fixed on Eleanora.  His cheeks flushed a deep crimson as he noticed (while trying his best not to be _obvious_ about it) that she was wearing a t-shirt— _and nothing else_.  No pants…no shorts…and _no bra_ , as evidenced by the two telltale points that were standing under the fabric as it draped over her soft, curvaceous chest.

He then recognized the shirt—white with blue and green stripes. 

 _His_ shirt _._  

His _favorite_ shirt, in fact, which he hadn’t seen in months.  The last time he saw it was the night he left with Seven to go to Mint Eye headquarters—he had taken it off and tossed it on the floor of his apartment in his hurry to change clothes for the trip.

“Um…i-isn’t that _my_ shirt you’re wearing?” he stammered as he continued to fight the overwhelming urge not to stare.  His best efforts to remain cool were rendered completely hopeless once he caught a tiny glimpse of Eleanora’s baby blue satin panties peering timidly at him from just under the edge of the shirt’s hemline. 

Suddenly, Yoosung felt slightly faint as all of the blood in his body tried to rush into his face.

Eleanora glanced down.  Suddenly realizing how undressed she was (after all, she had only intended to be in the kitchen for a minute to get a drink), she felt her own cheeks redden. 

 _“Oh!_   Ummm… _this?_   Uh…well, yes, it _is_ your shirt,” she faltered through an embarrassed explanation.  “I’m sorry…I came across it while you were gone.  It was when Jaehee and I were packing up your apartment.  I found it, and it smelled like you.  I hoped you wouldn’t mind if I…sort of _borrowed_ it.  I just… _I dunno_ …I wanted…well, more like _I needed_ …something that felt like you.  It brought me a lot of comfort while you were gone.  I’m sorry…I really hope you don’t mind.” The words tumbled out clumsily, leaving Eleanora more self-conscious than she’d ever been around Yoosung.

Watching Eleanora stumble adorably through her explanation, her face a darker shade of pink than he’d ever seen on her, Yoosung felt a powerful force drawing him toward her…as if he was a satellite caught in her gravitational pull, and reaching terminal velocity.

“Hey…i-it’s okay,” he murmured softly as he drifted closer to her, “…don’t worry, I get it.”

As the space between them grew smaller and smaller, Yoosung’s hands reached out to grasp her waist, wrapping around the small of her back, and pulling her to him.  His face felt like it would spontaneously combust, but he couldn’t help it.  He needed to feel her close to him.  Desire drowned out shyness the closer he got to her.

“In fact, I think this shirt looks a lot better on you than it does on me,” he said softly as he tilted his head, his lips finding the crook of her neck.  He nuzzled her warm, soft skin, breathing in her sweetness.

Eleanora sighed softly, a barely audible moan escaping from deep in her throat.  She felt like she was melting inside.  She could feel a delicious, warm tension slowly building deep inside her core as she moved her hands up Yoosung’s arms, lightly trailing her fingertips over his skin as her arms found their way over his shoulders and around his neck.

Yoosung’s soft lips traced her neck and jawline with gentle kisses, until they reached her mouth.  Then, he kissed her deeply and aggressively, which she was only too happy to return in kind.  Her fingers wove through his messy mop of baby-soft, blond hair as her tongue delved into the warmth of his mouth.

Completely losing touch with his inhibitions, Yoosung’s hands slowly moved southward.  Passing over the edge of the fabric of the t-shirt, his fingers glided over the shimmery smooth satin of Eleanora’s panties—and the soft, warm curve of her bottom. 

Feeling his fingers gingerly sweep across the silky fabric covering her ass, Eleanora felt what seemed like a trail of electric sparks trailing up her spine.  Involuntarily, she sharply inhaled, then moaned softly, lightly rolling her hips forward, her body seeking ever closer contact with the boy she loved.

Almost immediately, Eleanora felt Yoosung tense up.  His eyes fluttered open, and he withdrew from their kiss.  He stepped back, looking perfectly horrified before quickly covering his face with his hands.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”  Eleanora asked, alarmed.  She focused on his face, but she couldn’t help but glance down at the telltale bulge that had developed just under the waistband of his sweatpants.

 _“God….I’m so sorry,_ Eleanora.  I didn’t mean to…to touch you… _there_ , like _that_.  It just kind of…happened.  I’m such a jerk.  I-I’m sorry.”  Yoosung still hid his face behind his hands.

Eleanora stepped toward him, gently placing her hands over his.  With a little resistance, he let her pull his hands away from his face, which was practically glowing in the dim light of the kitchen.

She gazed into his violet eyes. “Why are you sorry, Yoosung?  I happened to _like_ what you were doing.  I _want_ you to touch me.  And you are _not_ a jerk!  _Why on earth would you say that?”_ she asked.

Yoosung shifted uncomfortably, his gaze glued to the floor. “I don’t know.  I…I have all these feelings, and I don’t know what to do with them.  I don’t want to mess anything up…you know, go too far with… _anything_.”

“You mean…in terms of intimacy…a-and… _sex?”_ Eleanora said, her own blush deepening as her eyes cast downward.  She was never one to beat around the bush—but, being about as inexperienced as Yoosung, it was not the most comfortable subject matter.

Yoosung nodded, still averting his gaze.  Eleanora fought the urge to giggle at the adorable, blushing mess standing in front of her.

As much as she loved Yoosung and longed to be close to him—in _every_ way possible—she had long put the thought of sex out of her head, and tried her best to keep it that way.  With everything he had been through, she refused to put any sort of pressure on him to advance their relationship until he was ready.  After a couple of encounters during their time in Dubai, where they had come close to _doing the deed_ , it was clear to Eleanora that he was going to need time to be ready for any further development of their physical relationship.  She was terrified of the possibility that she could end up doing something to trigger painful and traumatic memories for him.  As a result, the extent of their physical contact over the past couple of months had been limited. 

“Honey, you know how much I love you, right?” Eleanora asked Yoosung, her hands reaching out for his and grasping them gently.

“Yeah.  And I love you, too.”  Yoosung said softly, staring at the soft, warm hands holding his own.

“You know that I am yours, forever.  I’m not going anywhere.  I want as much of you as you are ready and willing to give to me.  I don’t want you to do anything, or feel pressured to do anything, until you are completely comfortable with it.  You know this, right?”  Eleanora lightly squeezed his hands as she stroked the backs of his knuckles with her thumbs.

Yoosung looked up, meeting her gaze.  “Yes, a-and I feel the same way.  I didn’t want to push you further than you were comfortable or…or do something wrong, or mess up.  That’s what I’m afraid of.  Don’t get me wrong…I want you… _all of you_ …. _y-you know…”_ he looked away—and just in time, since Eleanora was certain he was going to spontaneously combust.  His blush had deepened into radioactive meltdown stage, covering his face and creeping down his neck. 

She reached up and stroked his glowing red cheeks with her hands.  Oddly enough, despite his downright feverish coloring, his cheeks were only slightly warm to the touch.  Meeting his gaze, she told him, “Baby, you don’t have to worry about anything.  There is no way, _absolutely no way_ , that you could mess this up or get it wrong.  I love _all of you_ , exactly as you are, so just _be you._   You can’t mess up.”

Once again meeting her gaze, Yoosung’s expression shifted to one of cautious optimism with a dash of relief.

 _“Really?”_ he whispered.

 _“Of course_ , sweetheart.  I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable around me, or feel like you have to be a certain way, or meet a certain standard, or that you might mess up.  _You are enough,_ just as you are.  You’re _so much_ _more_ than enough.  You always have been, and always will be.  Understand?”  Eleanora finished by stroking both hands across the sides of his head, sweeping his messy blond hair behind his ears.

Yoosung smiled.  “I love you, Eleanora Shipley.  I wish I could tell you that every moment of every day.”

“I love you too, Yoosung Kim,” she whispered.  “Now, kiss me, you sexy thing.” she commanded in a voice dark and low, as she tilted his head gently to meet his lips with hers.

With a renewed confidence and sense of purpose, Yoosung placed his hands onto Eleanora’s hips, slowly moving them up and around her waist.  Eleanora responded with a contented sigh, pressing herself closer into his chest.  Her lips parted; tongue drawing lightly across his bottom lip before taking it gently into her mouth and suckling it. 

Yoosung shuddered, a low, drawn-out groan escaping from somewhere deep in his throat as his eyes fluttered closed.  His hands once again drifted downward to trace the beautiful curvature of Eleanora’s lower back, down to her ass—gingerly at first, but with growing confidence.

Releasing Yoosung’s lip with an audible _smack_ , Eleanora pulled away just far enough to look him in the eye.

“Would you like to come to my room?”

Yoosung took a deep breath, then swallowed thickly.  Without a word, he nodded slowly.

Eleanora turned slightly, taking him by the hand, and leading him down the hallway to her room.

Once behind closed doors, Eleanora turned to face her boyfriend, taking both of his hands.

 _“Are you sure you want to…?”_ she whispered, part of her not daring to believe that _this just might be happening._

Yoosung gazed back at her.  A deep blush was once again spreading across his face, but a fire burned in the amethyst facets of his eyes that Eleanora had never seen before. 

His arms slowly encircled her waist, pulling her close.

“Yeah.  I want…” he inhaled sharply, “…to make love to you.  Please…Eleanora.  I love you so much.  I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

Eleanora’s fingers slowly traced their way up Yoosung’s arms, past his shoulders, and up his neck, where she gently pulled him in for a kiss.

Gradually, one of her hands moved down his chest, pausing at the hemline of his white T-shirt.  Hooking her fingertips under the cloth, Eleanora lifted the shirt.  Yoosung raised his arms and broke away from their kiss just long enough to allow his shirt to be pulled over his head.

Eleanora ran her fingers over the pale skin of his chest, grazing lightly over the mostly faded scars that crisscrossed his flesh.  Her touch caused Yoosung to shiver slightly, his breath noticeably quickening.

“I...I, um…I’m not sure what to do.  I’ve never…not like this…”  Yoosung’s voice was low, barely more than a whisper.

Eleanora smiled as she tilted her head in, planting a kiss on his bottom lip.  “I know, baby.  Me too.  Just relax…We’ll figure it all out together.”

She placed her hands over his, and guided them down to her hips, making a point of curling his fingers around the bottom edge of her shirt…or, rather, _his_ shirt, which she was wearing.  Yoosung hesitated, looking at her questioningly.

“Help me take it off…” Eleanora encouraged.

Slowly, the fabric lifted, eventually clearing the top Eleanora’s head, allowing her hair to tumble back down past her exposed shoulders, perfectly framing her round, full breasts.

Yoosung stared, slack-jawed, a fiery glow in his cheeks.  His mind was dangerously close to short-circuiting.

“W-wo…wuh-wow,” he stammered, after several attempts to push sound from his lips.  “You…you’re so…beautiful.  So…perfect.” 

Eleanora smiled timidly, her own face shaded in crimson.  _“Touch me, Yoosung,”_ she said, her voice quivering as months of need and desire mingled with anxious nervousness.  It was a dizzying combination. 

Trembling fingers slowly reached toward her pale, velvety flesh.  Gingerly, his fingertips traced the gentle curves of Eleanora’s breasts.  Growing a bit bolder, he cupped his hands around them, lowering his mouth to kiss the succulent skin.  Eleanora tossed her head back, reveling in the exquisite sensation as Yoosung took a nipple into his mouth and gently sucked and rolled the firm, but tender, nub against his tongue and lips.  He moved slowly, with surprisingly little awkwardness; he was possessed with awestruck wonder at the sensations—her smell, her taste, the delicate texture of her skin—and was taking his time to learn and memorize every sumptuous detail.

“Oh, my god…. _Yoosung_ …” Eleanora gasped as shockwaves of ecstasy rocked her entire body.  Her fingers tangled and fisted in his hair.

Suddenly, she grabbed him by the shoulders and pitched herself backward onto the bed, bringing him down on top of her.  Their bodies met, flesh against flesh, as their arms wrapped tightly around each other.

The last of their inhibitions evaporated as each desperately sought out the other.  Eleanora’s hands drifted downward, fingers diving under the elastic of Yoosung’s sweatpants.  Wriggling his hips, he assisted her in taking them off, taking his underwear with them.

Yoosung sat up next to Eleanora.  Slowly, he traced his fingertips along the delicate lace waistband of her panties, as he glanced up questioningly at her face.  Nodding almost imperceptibly, she gave him permission to remove them.  Slowly, he hooked his fingers under the elastic and slid them down, tossing them heedlessly aside.

For a moment, Yoosung simply stared at Eleanora’s naked body.  She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on, and he could scarcely believe that she was giving herself to him, wholly and completely.  He was temporarily speechless.

“You’re so…so beautiful.  I love you, Eleanora,” he said reverently, as he leaned over to stroke her face with his hand.

“I love you too, Yoosung,” Eleanora whispered in response.

Yoosung dropped down and kissed her deeply and wantonly, his hands once again moving to her breasts.  In response, Eleanora’s hands moved down along his sides, exploring the sensitive area where his waist met his hips.  Moving around to his backside, Eleanora pressed her fingers lightly into the soft flesh of his ass.

“Mmmmm….” Yoosung groaned as he involuntarily rolled his hips forward.  The movement caused the hardness of his cock to make contact with Eleanora’s upper thigh. 

“Aaahh!” Yoosung cried out at the unexpected sensation that overwhelmed him.

Eleanora shifted herself under him, spreading her legs so that he was between them.  She shuddered as the cool air hit the dripping wetness of her sex.  Instinctively, she arched her back slightly, desperately trying to make connection with her lover.

“Ready, baby?” she asked breathlessly.

“Uh-huh…” Yoosung’s eyes were already glazed over.

Reaching down, his trembling fingers fumbled as they tried to line him up with her opening.  Eleanora slid her hands down between them, gently guiding him to the slick, wet entrance.

“There…now push in, slowly.”

She felt his body tense up ever so slightly as he gradually pushed himself into her.

“Ahhhhhh….” he entered about halfway before stopping.  His mouth fell open, and his head dropped forward.  Slowly, he pulled out.  His eyes were shut tightly, and intense concentration was etched onto his face.

Once again, he entered, a bit further this time.  _“Hnnngggg….”_ He uttered through gritted teeth. “It’s so warm and tight…” he groaned. _“Feels…so…good…”_

Eleanora moaned softly as she felt herself being stretched and filled.  It stung ever so slightly, but the intense pleasure mingling with the pain only served to make her crave _more_.  Suddenly, she thrust her hips upward to meet Yoosung, pushing him into her completely.  She cried out loudly as she was overwhelmed with the most beautiful combination of pain and ecstasy. 

As he felt his cock completely swallowed up in Eleanora’s tight, wet heat, Yoosung almost screamed; the sensation was almost more than he could handle.  Dropping onto his elbows, he lowered himself so that he was almost laying on top of Eleanora. His head drooped downward, forehead resting lightly on Eleanora's chest. Breathing heavily, Yoosung tried to steady himself.

 _“Okay…haah…huahh…okay…”_ he whispered in panting breaths, seemingly to himself, as he tried to gather his senses.  He was desperate to do this right.

Once again, he thrust his hips forward, slowly pushing himself into Eleanora, he then pulled out, only to thrust in again, a bit faster and further this time.  Lifting himself onto his hands again, he was able to have more control over his thrusting, and he soon steadied to a constant rhythm.

“Ummh…. _Uhnnh_ … _Ahgghh_ … _Hnnghh_ … _Fu…ck_ …Elea…nora… _Ahhhhh_ ….God…you…feel…so…good” His rhythmic panting allowed him to only utter one syllable per thrust. 

Eleanora was almost in a trance-like state, uttering sporadic moans, but largely quiet; mesmerized, she focused all of her attention on the beautiful, wrecked mess Yoosung had become before her eyes. 

Reaching up, Eleanora cupped her hands around Yoosung’s face.  His skin was damp with sweat, his eyes still tightly shut as he put every ounce of his concentration into the task at hand.  It was then she noticed that tears were streaming down his cheeks.

“Yoosung,” Eleanora said, breathlessly.  “Open your eyes…look at me.”

“ _Hrnnggg_ ….”  Yoosung bit his lip as his eyes fluttered open.  Time seemed to slow to a stop as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“I love you,” Eleanora whispered.

“I…ungh…I…love you… _hahh_ …too…” Yoosung panted as the pace of his thrusting picked up.  “Am…I… _huhh_ …doing this… _hah_...right?”

Sweet, adorable Yoosung. 

“Yes, baby…” Eleanora panted, “ _hnnnhh_ …you're...perfect…”

Eleanora felt… _something_ …building deep inside of her.  A building wave, an inevitability.

“S…some…something’s happening… _ohmygod_ …” she uttered as her breathing quickened.

“Ahhh…ahhhah… _Yoo…sung!”_ Eleanora screamed as a burst of color…light…and wondrous sensation flooded her being.

Eleanora had never felt anything remotely like this before.  Each and every particle of her existence was on fire, and screaming Yoosung’s name…craving him, needing him, loving him.  She felt his love in every part of her soul, both possessing her and revering her alone.  She never knew that being loved could feel like this. 

She prayed with everything she had that she could make him feel this way—that he could feel the eternal expanse of her love for him.

As she rode out the explosion of ecstasy, she felt herself clenching deep inside.  Throwing her arms and legs around Yoosung, she held onto him as tightly as she could with every inch of her body.  Once more, she bucked her hips toward him, burying his cock deep inside her as she held onto him for dear life. 

Yoosung cried out loudly. “ _Ahhhghhh_ ….god…Elea…I-I’m gonna…. _Hah_ … _Huhhhnngghh_ …” he choked on a sob.

As she continued to cling to him, she felt every inch of him tense up, then his body convulsed repeatedly.  His eyes rolled back into his head.  Suddenly, his body went limp and he collapsed onto her, exhausted, shaking, and whimpering softly.

Eleanora held him, gently stroking his back as they both tried to catch their breath.

“Are you okay, baby?” Eleanora asked as she softly stroked his hair.  She could feel his softening cock still inside of her, twitching sporadically.

Turning his head slightly, Yoosung nuzzled his face into the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

“Uh-huh…” he mumbled weakly, still out of breath.  “That was…incredible.  I’ve never…felt…like…anything like…that…” his words stumbled, almost slurring.  He placed a languid kiss on her neck.  “Th-thank you…Eleanora.  I love you…so much.”

Shifting to Eleanora’s side, Yoosung cuddled up close to her, wrapping himself around her.  Arms and legs tangled together, the two of them quickly surrendered to exhaustion, drifting off into a deep, and peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing is hard; posting it for all to see is harder...kudos and comments make it easier, especially if you enjoy my work! Let me know what you think--if you love it, or if I can make it better! Love and hugs to you, my dear readers!!! <3 -KR


	4. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Motivated to make up for lost time, Yoosung dives back into his studies at Sky University. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Eleanora--who was forced to drop out of college a few years ago--is inspired to see what it would take for her to complete her own degree.

Chapter 4:  Back to School

June 5

 

Eleanora sat at the dining table, pouring over a large assortment of forms, documents, and booklets.  At the top of the pile was a publication entitled “Sky University - Foreign Student Admission Program”.  She had picked it up a few months ago, when she had accompanied Yoosung to the admissions office.  Not thinking much of it at the time, she had been inspired to look into it after seeing a notice on a bulletin board at school about the upcoming deadline for applications for the fall semester.  She was fairly certain that her chances of getting accepted into the top school in Korea were somewhere between slim and none; after all, this particular university has a smaller acceptance rate than Harvard or Yale!  However, the idea of getting back into class and completing the last few credits of her nursing degree--and to go to the same school as her boyfriend!--was a very nice thought.  

 _It couldn’t hurt,_ Eleanora reasoned as she filled out the various forms.

After the positive experience of visiting campus on his birthday a few months ago, Yoosung had been motivated to visit the admissions office to reinstate his enrollment in school.  The spring semester had already began at that point, but since he had been gone just under a year, some special arrangements had been made that had essentially allowed him to pick up where he had left off.  

Eager to make up for lost time and catch up with his peers, Yoosung had insisted upon taking an increased course load.  He planned on taking classes online, and--instead of summer break--he planned on taking additional classes during the summer.  

His goal went beyond merely catching up with where he would be had he not been gone; _he wanted to be the first of his class to graduate._

Eleanora had her concerns about the workload he was taking onto himself, but he assured her that he was ready to put everything he had into his studies, “to build a good life for us,” he told her.  Although she worried about him, she made a promise to support and encourage him in everything he did, no matter what.

So far, everything was going well, and Yoosung was nearly finished with his first full semester back in school.  He had classes every day, usually starting early in the morning, but on Wednesdays he got to sleep in an extra hour.  Eleanora would fix his breakfast each morning (though, sometimes, Yoosung would get up before her and have breakfast ready for the two of them).  Because they lived so close to campus, it was not uncommon for Yoosung to get to come home for lunch if he had the time, or Eleanora would pack a picnic lunch for them to share at the gazebo near the library.  Each evening, Eleanora would have a hot dinner ready when he arrived back home.

Meanwhile, Eleanora was looking at the options available to her.  As much as she loved being a “stay at home girlfriend” and devoting all of her time and energy to taking care her hardworking sweetheart, she wanted to contribute more.  She had a few job prospects, but the notion of going back to school and completing her degree was also very appealing.  That is, if she could get the financing needed for the classes.  

She was just reading up on available scholarships when Eleanora heard the apartment door open and close.  Quickly, she went into the living room just in time to see Yoosung slump onto the couch.  He looked absolutely exhausted.

“Welcome home, sweetie.  Rough day?” she said as she sat at the other end of the couch.  Patting her hands on her lap, she added, “Here, put your feet up and I’ll rub them for you.”

“Thank you, honey...you’re so sweet.  Yeah, today was rough.  I’m starting to worry that maybe I did get in over my head with this course load.  I know you warned me about taking on too much, but I really thought I could handle it.  Now, I’m not so sure.  Finals are coming up, and I’ve got to have three huge research papers done by then.  THREE.  I have a hard time with just one...how in the heck am I going to handle _three_ of them?” Yoosung sighed dejectedly as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

Eleanora had pulled off his house shoes and was carefully removing his socks and rolling up the cuffs of his left pants leg.  “Your leg looks a bit swollen,” she observed, “has it been bothering you today?” she added.

“A little.  I had to go across almost the entire campus twice today.  It’s a lot more walking than I normally have to do,” he responded.

Eleanora reached for her purse on the side table, removing a small tube of hand lotion.  After applying a small amount to her hands, she proceeded to massage the muscles in his lower left leg.  Running her fingers over the light surgical scars where his tibia and fibula bones had been reconstructed, she applied gentle but firm pressure to work out and loosen the muscles that had atrophied during months in a cast, then slowly rebuilt in recent weeks through intensive physical therapy.

As Eleanora massaged his leg, she watched his face for any sign that he was in pain.  “How’s that feel, baby?” she asked cautiously as she saw him grimace slightly.  

“It hurts a little, but in a good way.  It’s helping a lot,” he replied.  

Once she finished massaging his leg, Eleanora moved to his feet, rubbing one, then the other.  Yoosung seemed to melt into the cushions, laying back his head and visibly relaxing as Eleanora worked her magic on his tired, aching feet.

“So, besides the research paper apocalypse, how was your day?” she asked.

“It was alright, I guess.  I have a little homework for tonight, but it shouldn’t take long.  When I’m done, I want to log in to LOLOL for a while.  It’s been almost a week since I’ve logged in, and I’m worried about losing all the progress I’ve made toward getting my ranking back up to what it was.  Plus, I really miss playing.”

Eleanora smiled, though she felt a twinge of concern.  “I’d say you’ve certainly earned some game time.  But, you need to make sure you don’t stay up too late,” she warned.

“I know,” Yoosung sighed.  “I’m not going to work this hard just to let a game mess things up.  I just want to do something that doesn’t involve a textbook for a change,” he said wistfully.  “It would be nice to keep my ranking, but I know what’s more important.” 

***

August

Eleanora sat under the gazebo, watching intently for Yoosung to come out of the science building.  In her hand, she clutched a piece of paper.

She was excited.

No, she was more than excited.  She felt _pure exhilaration._  

 _Where was Yoosung?_  Surely he should be walking out the door by now.  

She couldn’t wait to tell him.

Finally, Eleanora saw her sweetheart making his way down the walkway, with the slightest limp in his gait, toward their customary lunchtime meeting spot.  Unable to wait for him to get to her, she launched herself down the concrete walkway and into his arms.

“Well, hi there!” he smiled with surprise.  “I’m glad to see you too,” he added with a chuckle.

“I have a surprise for you, baby!” Eleanora said breathlessly.  “You’ll never guess!”

Taking her by the hand, Yoosung led the way to their usual table under the gazebo.

“Hmm...whatever it is, it’s got you excited…” Yoosung observed with a curious smile.  “What’s up?”

“Remember when I talked about signing up for classes so that I can finally finish my nursing degree?”

“Yes.”

“Well, a few weeks ago, I went ahead and sent in my package to Sky University, under their international student program.  I didn’t think anything would come of it, because my grades in my last couple of semesters of college were awful.  But...look what I got in the mail today…” she showed him the letter in her hand, “I got in!”

“Not only that…baby, look at this…” Too excited to remain in her seat, she had come around the table and was leaning against the table next to Yoosung.  She flipped a few pages into the packet in her hands before holding a page up for him to see.  “I got a provisional full scholarship for the fall semester.  If I can keep my grades up, it will cover my classes for the whole semester!”

“Wow!” Yoosung exclaimed as he looked over the letter Eleanora was holding out to him.  “That’s amazing!”  He wrapped her up in a big hug.  “I mean, not that I’m surprised or anything.  I know you are perfectly capable of amazing things…” he said before placing a kiss on Eleanora’s forehead.

“You know what this means? It means we will be in school together!”  Eleanora gushed.

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” Yoosung said as he kissed her forehead.

Eleanora scrutinized the course listing and her transfer transcript.  “They’ve accepted all my credits from my previous school.  Looks like I’ll be able to graduate in three semesters, if all goes well…” a wave of emotion brought tears to hear eyes.  “I can’t believe this is happening.  I’ll get my degree after all…”

Yoosung wrapped her in his arms, “I believe it.  I believe you can do anything.  And I’ll support you every step of the way.”

Her boyfriend’s sweet words were enough to undo Eleanora completely, and she melted into Yoosung’s arms with happy sobs of joy.


	5. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of the spring semester, and Yoosung and Eleanora are ready to celebrate the beginning of summer break.
> 
> However, early the next morning, Eleanora gets an odd text from Seven, asking to meet with her...alone.
> 
> What he has to say to her will change EVERYTHING.

Chapter 5:  Revelations

June 23 (the following year)

 

“In the immortal and historic words of William Wallace, ‘FREEDOM’!”  Eleanora said as she walked out of the medical sciences building for the last time this semester.  Yoosung was waiting for her a short distance away from the door, allowing plenty of space for the mass of humanity that was flooding from the building.

“How do you think you did on your final?” he asked as he took her hand.  They started to make their way through the crowds toward the bus stop.

“I feel pretty good about it.  I’m fairly sure I passed, but I’m hoping that I did well enough to maintain my GPA and maybe even get another scholarship for next semester.  Only two more to go...for both of us!” she grinned as she leaned over to plant a kiss on Yoosung’s cheek.  “How did your finals go, baby?” she asked him.

“I’m pretty sure I did well.  I guess all that studying paid off,” he grinned.  

“I doubt it was _just_ the studying,” Eleanora said with a small giggle and a wink.  

Yoosung looked at her blankly.

“Hmm?  What do you mea... _Ohhh_.”

Suddenly, her innuendous meaning dawned on him.  Eleanora giggled again as she watched his face go from normal to flame-red in the space of a split second. “ _Um_...well, _that_ helped, too,” he said quietly, an adorably shy grin blossoming on his beet-red face.

Eleanora couldn’t help but smile.  Her sweet boy was so easy to fluster, and she had so much fun making that cute face of his turn every shade of red.

As they walked down the main walkway towards the bus stop, hand in hand, Yoosung sighed contentedly. “I’m so happy I don’t have to take classes this summer.  After the last year, I’m ready to take a break,” he said.

“You’ve more than earned it, baby.  I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.  You’ve managed to make up for all the time you were gone, and even get ahead of your class!”  Eleanora beamed with pride.

Soon, the couple arrived at the bus stop.  Sitting on a nearby bench, Eleanora turned to Yoosung.  “You know what, sweetie?  I think we should do something to celebrate the end of the semester.”

“Hmm...what do you have in mind?” Yoosung asked.

“ _Well_ ,” Eleanora said thoughtfully, “I don’t work at the coffee shop tonight, so we can pretty much do whatever we want.  I’ve got a little money put aside in our travel fund, so we can borrow a little bit from that and have a night out.  What do you think?”

Yoosung smiled.  “I’d love that.  Can we go see a movie?  I noticed a poster the other day saying that one of my favorite romantic films is being screened at the theater.  I’ve always wanted to see it with you on the big screen!”

“Sure, that sounds like fun!  Let’s do the classic three-course date,” Eleanora said, just as the bus pulled up to the stop.

***

The apartment door closed with a soft click.  As soon as the lock was engaged, Eleanora turned around to face Yoosung.  He was staring at her with a now-familiar look in his eyes.  It was a look of need, of desire, of hunger.  The last few hours spent sitting in the back of a darkened theater had led to a feverish make-out session, and Eleanora had been counting the seconds until they were finally alone.  She wasted no time in pulling him to her, devouring his lips in a fiery kiss.  As her tongue traced its way along his lower lip, requesting access that he readily gave, her hands found their way to the buttons of his shirt.  Soon, his shirt was open; a quick shrug allowed it to fall unceremoniously to the floor.

“Bedroom…” Yoosung gasped.  “Want. You. Now.”

Barely breaking physical contact with each other, the two of them stumbled their way to Eleanora’s room.  

***

A buzzing from her phone work Eleanora up.  Rubbing her eyes, she squinted at the clock.  

It was 6:43 in the morning.

Rolling over to pick up the phone, Eleanora sleepily stared at the screen.

It was a text message from Seven:  “Need to talk to you ASAP.  It’s important.  Please let me know when you can meet.  Don’t tell Yoosung.”

Fumbling with the keyboard on the screen, she texted back:  “Ok.  Can meet you at around 8.  Usual meeting place, if you’re willing to buy me breakfast.”  She hit ‘send’, before quickly tapping up a follow up message:  “You could have waited a little to wake me up on a Saturday...jerk. ;p”

Seven’s reply was almost immediate.  “Sorry.  See you at 8.”

Sighing exasperatedly, Eleanora stared at the ceiling.  Why in the world would Seven text her like that….so early on a Saturday?  And what on earth would he want to talk to her about, _without Yoosung?_  Maybe a surprise for him?  Eleanora didn’t like that prospect much, especially considering Seven’s track record for playing elaborate practical jokes on sweet-natured, but gullible Yoosung.  Some were even a little mean-spirited; she could never forget the “Passing Out After Drinking Coffee Syndrome” prank, in which Yoosung was led to drink an inhuman amount of chocolate milk.  The poor thing _honestly_ thought he was a goner.  Eleanora smiled at the memory, but just the same, she couldn’t help but be a little wary of Seven when it came to her naive, trusting baby.

Eleanora sighed again, her gaze shifting from the clock to the ever-so-faint blush of dawn’s glow becoming apparent in her bedroom window.  It was highly unlikely that she would be getting any more sleep.  Turning her head, she looked at her beautiful boy.  He was still sleeping soundly; his face was peaceful and angelic, his blond hair was tousled--wild and sexy.  After last night’s passionate exertions that persisted into the wee hours of morning, she was certain that he had spent every last ounce of his energy and would sleep like a rock for several more hours.  Before heading to the bathroom to get dressed, she leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead.  Her heart ached at how much she loved him.

A short time later, she was walking through the glass door of the little cafe in downtown Seoul, just a block and a half from Jumin’s building.  It was the regular meeting location for impromptu RFA meetings, due to its proximity and ease of access for all of the members.  That, and the fact that it has the best coffee and pastries around.  

Despite her chagrin at being woken up so early, she smiled broadly when she saw Seven sitting at a booth in the back of the shop.  As she approached, though, she picked up on something...off...about him.  She couldn’t quite define the expression on his face, but it seemed a lot to her like what a condemned prisoner might look like as they faced the firing squad.

She didn’t like it.  She felt very uneasy.

Still, she smiled as she greeted the red-headed, bespectacled prodigy, sitting in the seat facing him.

“Heya, Seven...what’s up?”

Seven shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable.  “Eleanora.  I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a while now.  I just...I haven’t known how to talk to you...about this.”

Seven’s uneasiness--highly uncharacteristic of the normally bright, mischievous, madcap hacker--was becoming a contagion that was spreading to Eleanora, who felt a subtle chill as she surveyed his paler-than-usual face.

“Just tell me, doofus.  You know you can talk to me.  Whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as you’re making it out to be,” Eleanora offered, doing her best to play off the concern rising in the depths of her chest.

“I wish you were right, and under any other circumstance you would be.  But I’m afraid what I have to say is about as bad as it gets.  I really hope you feel the same way about me when I’m done.  I’m scared that you won’t, though.”  Seven stared down at his hands, which were busy fidgeting with the cord from his yellow headphones.  This was a surefire sign that he was really, really nervous.

“Good god, Seven.  You’re scaring me.   _What is it?”_  Eleanora was terrified now.

Seven had grown about three shades paler than he had been when she had taken her seat across the table from him.  Taking a deep breath, he began haltingly, “Eleanora...I need to tell you...some things...things about Mint Eye, and things about the man who kidnapped Yoosung.”

At the mention of ‘Mint Eye’, Eleanora felt her stomach drop to the soles of her shoes.  She took a breath in an attempt to steady herself. 

“Go on,” she said.

“You know that some people were arrested last year, around the time you found Yoosung.  You also know that there was a trial held recently for the highest-ranking officials.  No names were released, and the entire proceeding was kept under a strict gag order to keep the information under wraps because of its sensitive nature and the number of victims involved.”

“Yes,” Eleanora responded, nodding slightly.

“Well, I have gotten a hold of some of the classified information.  Plus, I have the intelligence gained from my own… _research_ , I guess you could call it.  I’ve been sitting on this data for a while, but it’s getting to the point where I will no longer be able to protect it.  If it has to come out--and it does--then I have decided that I need to try to control it as much as possible, so that the people I care about the most aren’t hurt.  You are one of those people, Eleanora, and so is Yoosung.  I don’t want to see either of you hurt, any more than you have been already,” he said, his voice growing tremulous.  Closing his eyes, he added, “Especially Yoosung.”

“Seven...nobody blames you…” Eleanora began, but Seven cut her off.

“I know, but you don’t have all of the information, either. _That_ is why I wanted to meet you--to talk to you about the things that have been kept hidden…from you, and everyone else.”

“So, what is it?” Eleanora said, growing tense, and more than a little impatient.

Seven lowered his voice.  “The two top officials that were arrested and put on trial...I know who they are.”

Eleanora sat forward, leaning in closer to hear Seven better. _“Seriously?_ Who are they?  And why was all of this kept under wraps by the courts and the government?”

“Lawyers on both sides, as well as the judge presiding over the case all agreed that it was best to keep the entire proceeding secret, as well as the names of the defendants, in order to protect the innocent parties involved...which include Yoosung and many others--possibly hundreds.”

“Well?  Who are the defendants?”

Seven took a deep breath.  “They are V…. _and Rika.”_

Eleanora spat coffee onto the table.   _“WHAT??”_ she sputtered.

Quickly grabbing a napkin, she wiped up the mess as she glanced around to make sure nobody noticed her spit take.

“What the hell... ** _RIKA_** _????”_  Eleanora hissed, her voice a forced whisper.  “Are you telling me that Rika is _alive_?”

Seven nodded his head.  “She faked her death so that she could start up Mint Eye.  V was initially against it, but he was so hell-bent on Rika being happy and having whatever she wanted, that he eventually went along with her wishes.  The truth is, he was in on _everything_ , from the very start.  That’s why he acted so weird at the time of Rika’s supposed ‘death’, and it’s why he was quiet and gone so much in the time after that.  It’s also why he allowed you into the RFA.  He acted as a double-agent, reporting to Rika, and keeping an eye on you and everyone else at the same time.”

Eleanora shook her head.  “My god,” she mumbled thoughtfully, her brain rapidly processing the information it had just received.  “This means…it means that Yoosung was right about him all along.  He never bought the story about Rika committing suicide, and his suspicions about V hiding the truth were spot-on.”

“Yoosung is extremely smart.  I never understood exactly why he was always such an easy mark for my pranks, as perceptive as he is,” Seven said thoughtfully.

Eleanora gave Seven a curious glance. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Seven…but, how did they manage to keep all of this from _you_ , as close as you were to V and with all of your computing superpowers?  Seriously, no offense intended.”

“None taken, no worries.  That brings me to the next thing I need to tell you.  The reason I couldn’t get in on any of this is because of the guy we called _Unknown_.  He’s one of the most brilliant hackers I’ve ever encountered, and you know I don’t say that lightly.  Obviously, he was working for Mint Eye, and he was able to protect their entire operation through his hacking ability.  You also know that when Yoosung and I went to Mint Eye, he was the one who confronted us--and he’s the one who kidnapped and held Yoosung for all those months.”

Despite the time that had passed, and the healing that had been done in the time since then, all the feelings of rage came flooding back into Eleanora’s mind as she thought about that awful place where she had found Yoosung, how badly he was hurt, and the horrific, unspeakable things that had been done to him.  She couldn’t imagine how evil a person must be to do those things to another human being, especially someone as sweet and innocent as Yoosung.  Eleanora stared stonily at her hands, which involuntarily were balling up into tight fists on the table in front of her.

“That person... _Unknown_...is my brother.   _My twin brother.”_  Seven said in a quivering voice.  

Eleanora looked up at him.  She felt a mighty wave of...something...wash over her.  Some kind of emotion, though she could not define exactly what...shock?  Anger?  Disbelief?  _Was this even really happening?_

Seven watched Eleanora closely.  Even with all of his training as a special agent on controlling emotions and not giving anything away with his expression, he was unable to hide the terror in his eyes as he watched for Eleanora’s reaction.  

Eleanora continued to stare at him in shocked silence.  Her expression was blank, perfectly concealing the sickening, dizzying swirl of thoughts chasing each other around her brain.

Slowly, her lips moved, attempting to form the word “WHAT?”  However, no sound came.  She tried a few more times without any success.  

Finally, she regained the ability to speak.

“Y-your…. _brother_?”  Eleanora stammered, barely finding the voice to form words.  “H-how long have you known this?”

“I found out the day Yoosung and I went to Mint Eye.  When I saw him face to face.”

“You knew from _then_ , and...you’re just now telling me?”  

“I know how this looks, but…”

“You **_knew_** who had Yoosung...the whole time? _The WHOLE DAMNED TIME?”_  Eleanora sat upright in her seat, her eyes burning with tears--and rage.  She could feel her fingernails starting to dig into the heels of her hands as her fists tightened painfully.

“All the searching and hacking we did together.  The phone call in August.  When I found that tracer with the correct coordinates to his location...you dismissed all of my findings.  Said it was ‘background noise’.  You knew damned well I had found him, but you tried to throw me off .  Was all of that to protect your _brother_?  And all the horrible things he did to Yoosung?”  Eleanora felt invisible hands reaching around her neck, threatening to strangle her.  She had never felt so...betrayed...as she did in that moment.  And by someone she had trusted and stood by unconditionally.  This pain was almost as bad as any she felt during the time Yoosung was gone.  “If you had said something, we may have been able to get to Yoosung sooner…we could have saved him earlier, and he wouldn’t have nearly _died!”_

Seven was now ghost-white, eyes wide. “Eleanora, please...I beg you, hear me out.  There’s more that you need to know!” he implored, his voice breaking.

“I’ve heard enough.” She stood up, gathering her things.

Seven reached out and took her hand.  Eleanora froze.  Turning back to Seven, her eyes met his.  In those eyes, she saw a desperation she had never seen before, and it gave her pause.

“Please.   _Please_ ,” Seven pleaded, as tears spilled onto his pale cheeks.  “Eleanora, I need you to listen to me.  Let me tell you everything, and if you still want to go, you can go.  Just...please don’t leave me right now,” he begged.

Eleanora felt a pressure valve release somewhere inside her brain, and some of the tension left her body as she stared at the red-headed emotional wreck before her.  Something about him tugged at her heart, despite what she had just been told.  Slowly, she sat back down in her seat.

“Okay.  Tell me.  But I swear to god, this better be good, or I’m out.”  

“Thank you.  I know this is hard to hear, but I’ll do my best to explain everything as completely and truthfully as I can.  I know that’s what you and I both want--the full truth.  There have been so many secrets and lies and layers upon layers of deception, and it’s time for all of that to come out into the light.  That’s all I’m trying to do here.”  Seven explained.

“Fine.  Now, continue…” Eleanora urged.

“Okay...so...Now you know that I have a twin brother.  His name is Saeran.  And I guess now is a good time to tell you my real name, too.  It’s Saeyoung.  We were born the illegitimate sons of a high-ranking elected government official.  Our ‘mother’-- _and I use that term generously_ \--was an abusive alcoholic who used us as bartering chips against our father.  She treated us horribly--especially Saeran, who was born with health problems and was often sick.  I did my best to protect him.  One of the things we did to get away was going to church as often as we could.  When we were in our early teens, we met V and Rika at church.  They were really nice to us, and as we got to know each other, they realized the situation we had at home.  Eventually, they were able to convince our mother to let us stay with them.  She died shortly after that...I guess alcohol poisoning or something.  Once we were with Rika and V, I was given the opportunity to learn about computers, and when I showed a natural talent for hacking, V arranged for me to go into the agency, where I would be trained and placed into a high paying job.  The idea at the time was for me to make money as quickly as I could so that I could take care of Saeran.  I trusted that he would be cared for by V and Rika, just as if they were his parents, and I felt like he was in great hands.  Once I entered the agency, I realized that, due to the nature of my work, it would be very dangerous for him if I saw him again.  It broke my heart, but knowing that Saeran was taken care of, I felt like things were as good as they could be.”

Seven sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes before continuing.

“In those first couple of years, I was given updates, and even photographs, of Saeran.  I had every assurance that he was well and happy.  Then, Rika died, and I understood that V was looking after him on his own.  He was supposedly in school, doing well, and everything was fine.”

“What I was told was all I had to go on, until the day Yoosung and I came face-to-face with the hacker at Mint Eye, and I realized that he was my brother.  Saeran...he was so angry at me.  He thought I had _abandoned_ him!  That’s what he had been told...no, _brainwashed_ , to believe!  Rika had created this mindset in him that I was his enemy, a traitor, and that he needed to help her and Mint Eye to defeat the RFA, and either destroy, capture or convert its members and party guests.”

“Now, we’re getting to the part of the story where you showed up.  You were brought in to basically infiltrate the RFA and give Saeran and Rika access to the messenger, and to make sure another party was held, which would be used to build Mint Eye.  After looking at all of the files and documents from the trial, I can tell you that you were watched--for weeks--before your phone was hacked and you were contacted by them.  You were chosen because you were alone, a foreigner in a new country, with few contacts, and you were down on your luck.  All of these things worked in their favor, because it made you easy to manipulate and convince to follow their narrative.”

Eleanora shuddered at the memories that came back to her.  

“The plan was for you to fall for Zen.  He’s handsome, charming--like the K-Pop stars that win over the hearts of American girls.  He was supposed to sweep you off your feet, while you were supposed to organize a new RFA party.  The party was a trap.  There were cases and cases of “special” wine--enough to be served at the party, then a gift bottle sent home with each guest.  The wine contained an “elixir” that was concocted by Mint Eye.  This same stuff was given to my brother, in highly concentrated amounts, and he became addicted to it.  It’s a cocktail of nearly a dozen mind-altering drugs, including some that cause the user to lose their sense of autonomy--allowing them to be easily influenced and controlled by someone else.  This is how Saeran was brainwashed, and it’s how Mint Eye planned on ‘recruiting’ its new members.”

Seven leaned forward and looked earnestly into Eleanora’s eyes.  “There is something very important that you have to understand, Eleanora.   _Saeran is not an evil person_.  He’s not innately capable of doing the things he did to Yoosung…”

Eleanora interjected.  “I sat with Yoosung in the hospital while he went through weeks of painful surgery and rehab.  I can assure you, your brother was quite capable of hurting him,” she said flatly.

Seven once again reached for Eleanora’s hand, desperation permeating his voice.  “No...Eleanora, _please hear me out_...I went out to the place where they were--the farm in the mountains.  I found dozens upon dozens of empty vials and used syringes with residue of this stuff in them.   _He was under the influence of that elixir the whole time._  The Saeran I know is kind and gentle.  He loves flowers and ice cream and watching the clouds.  He’s not the horrible demon that Rika made him into.”

Eleanora narrowed her eyes at Seven.  “Why are you even telling me this?  He’s _dead_.”

Seven took a deep breath, preparing to drop the next bomb.  “No, Eleanora.  He’s not.”

Eleanora’s eyes widened, her blood turning cold in her veins.

“Like I said, I went to the place the night Yoosung came to the hospital.  That’s where I went when I left.  I needed to see Saeran for myself.  When I got there, I found that he was gravely injured, but he wasn’t dead.  He had a broken neck, but he was alive.  I brought him to a hospital, and made it my mission to find out what had happened to him, and why all of this happened.”

Once again, Eleanora felt anger surging through her.  “You hid all of this from us?”

“I had to, Eleanora.  Had I turned him over to the authorities, it would have been game over.  We might never have learned the whole truth.  Plus, I know in my heart that Saeran is a victim, too.  He’s just as much a victim as Yoosung.”

Eleanora stiffened in her seat. _That...that...evil demon who hurt Yoosung...a victim!?!_   If daggers could be shot from her eyes, Seven would have been dead on the spot.

_“How dare…”_

“Hold up, Eleanora.  I know what you’re thinking,” Seven interrupted.  “For all the horrible things that happened to Yoosung out there at that place, I can assure you that Saeran has been through similar.  You see, that farm was one of several remotely located properties that Mint Eye had, for the sole purpose of torturing people until they became accepting and submissive to their regime.  They called them ‘remote training centers’.  There was a hidden area in the basement of the Mint Eye headquarters that looked like something right out of a nightmare dungeon.  Many, if not most, members of Mint Eye went through some degree of this so-called ‘training’.  I have evidence and documentation indicating that my brother had several rounds of it.  So what he was doing is what he was trained to do, and an imitation of what was done to him.”

Eleanora continued to stare at Seven, her expression softening only somewhat.  “I am sorry to hear that, but if you’re expecting me to feel pity for this... _person_ , even if he is your brother, you have another thing coming,” she said stiffly.  

“I’m not asking you to feel pity or anything else.  I only want you to know the whole story,” Seven responded.

Eleanora fidgeted with the zipper pull on her hoodie.  “Fair enough.  So, where is...Saeran...now?”

“He’s staying with me at my bunker.”

Once again, Eleanora felt her skin crawl.  Despite what she had just been told, she was not ready to change her heart toward this person...the one who had caused all of the pain, the suffering, the trauma, the nightmares...everything that she had watched Yoosung go through.  

Eleanora wanted to say something, but bit her tongue instead.

“He’s been through extensive rehab and therapy.  Due to the effect of the drugs in the elixir, he doesn’t remember much about his time in Mint Eye, but he is aware of what happened, and he feels a great deal of remorse for the harm he caused.”

“Oh...so, you’re telling me he’s _sorry_?  Oh, that’s nice.  That makes it all better, doesn’t it?” Eleanora’s words dripped with icy sarcasm; yet, a tiny part of her felt guilty the instant they left her mouth, especially when she saw Seven cringe in response.

“I understand how you feel, Eleanora.  I really do.  I don’t expect you to forgive him, or me, for that matter.  All I’m asking is that you hear and understand the whole truth.”

“I’m sorry, Seven…or, _Saeyoung_ , is it?  Should I call you that now?”

Saeyoung nodded, “Yes, you can call me by my real name.  And don’t be sorry.  You have every right to feel the way you do.”

“You realize, we have to tell Yoosung about all of this,” Eleanora said, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach.  Her throat tightened as she thought of what this knowledge might do to him.  He was doing so well, and his nightmares had almost stopped happening entirely.  This was likely to rip open all of those awful wounds, bringing the memories and hurt back to the surface.

Seven shook his head slowly.  “He doesn’t need to know any of this.  What good would it do?  He’s made so much progress...why dump this on him and make him relive it all again?”

Eleanora laid her palms onto the table emphatically.  “Seven...er...Saeyoung, he’s not a child!  He deserves to know the truth!  Remember how much he resented V for holding back the truth from us?  Suppose we do hide this from him.  Suppose he finds out someday that we basically lied to him...lied by omission, anyway...what would happen then?  He would never be able to trust any of us again.”  Eleanora shook her head vehemently.  “No.  He needs to know the truth.”

“Some truths do more harm than good,” Saeyoung said, a distinct sadness weighing on his words.

“What do you mean by that?” Eleanora said, a little caught off guard.

“Eleanora...” Saeyoung sighed--seeming more like a tired old man than a vibrant, 20-something hacker, “Rika...she knew about Yoosung, almost the entire time Saeran had him out there.  She knew everything...where they were, what Saeran was doing to him, and she was on board with it.  What do you think that bit of truth will do to Yoosung?”

Eleanora sat, dumbfounded. _Rika_...Yoosung’s own, beloved cousin.   _She knew?_  She knew...and _did nothing to save him?  She...allowed these things to happen to her cousin, who loved her so much and looked up to her…_

Suddenly, Eleanora felt the urge to vomit.  

Taking a sip from her coffee, she willed her stomach to settle down.

_This, this can’t be possible.  No way._

“I don’t believe that for a second.  Nobody who knows Yoosung could knowingly let him go through all of that.  Especially not his own cousin!”

“It’s true.  There are documented phone calls, emails, and texts.  All verified.”

Eleanora felt her head spin.  She needed to get home and try to process all of what had just been thrust upon her.

Standing up, she collected her things.

“I’m sorry, Sev...Saeyoung.  I’m not feeling well, so I need to go.  Thank you for telling me this.  I wish I didn’t know, but at least we can do something to mitigate all of this.”

“Please don’t tell Yoosung just yet.  Please.  I know Jumin is still working on his own investigation, and with the latest court proceeding completed this past week, he should have some information for us in the next few days.  At least wait until we see what he’s got.  Don’t put Yoosung through this until we have as much information as possible.” Saeyoung entreated.

Eleanora paused, considering what Saeyoung had just said.  “Okay.  I guess that’s fair enough,” she replied.  “I won't tell him, for now. But I don't like this one bit.”

Saeyoung hugged her.  “Thank you, Eleanora.”


End file.
